‘Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year … take it … keep it … kill it.’ Exodus 12:5-6 KJV
‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old… take it… keep it… kill it.’ Exodus 12:5-6 NASB
The Passover scene has yielded an abundance of insights for both the preaching of the gospel and material for worship. It is one of those O. T. chapters with which we are all familiar. And though it is difficult to bring new teaching out of the chapter which has been mined by some of the best teachers, it is always valuable to look at old truth in a fresh way.
Mention is made in verse 3 of “a lamb” being taken, reminding us that the ultimate Lamb moved amongst men as a real Man. In verse 4 it is “the lamb” reminding us of the unique nature of the Lamb. But when we arrive at verse 5, it is “your lamb.” Now the entire matter has become very personal.
We delight to trace the Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God as He walked amongst men (John 1:36). The Baptist pointed Him out as “the Lamb” in that same chapter in verse 29: “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” But redemption cannot be 
known until He becomes “your Lamb” personally.
The lamb was to be without blemish. So not only must the Lamb be Personal, it must be Perfect. Each chapter which follows in John’s lovely Gospel shows us the perfection of the Lamb: His words, works, and ways were open for men to examine. Near the close of His public ministry the Lord could challenge His foes: “Which of you convinceth Me of sin?” (John 8:46). All had to acknowledge that He was without spot or blemish.
It was a male of the first year. In the prime of life, with so much potential, it had to be sacrificed. It was Precious. How can we begin to measure the worth of Him Whom angels had worshiped but Who came in lowly form for us? The value of the work of the Cross is inseparably linked with the worth of the victim. It was precious blood that was shed.
A sacrifice that was Precious in its value, Perfect in nature, and Personal, but it also had to be Presented and slain. “Kill it” was the command of God. Notice how from verse 6 onward, God speaks of the myriad of lambs slain in Israel that Passover night as “it.” It is as if there was only one Lamb in God’s mind, a Lamb Who would come centuries later to fulfill all that the Passover night typified.
Consider:
There are six Passovers which were kept in the Old Testament; each of them is linked with a different truth – from remembrance to revival. There is one Passover kept in the New Testament and it is linked with reality.